Film-actuating mechanism for kinetoscopic apparatus.



No. 627,526. Patented June 27, I899..

J. A. PBESTWICH.

FILM ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR KINETOSCOPIC APPARATUS.

' zA ncmn filed Feb. 4, 1899.) (Nu Model.)

UN TED STATES PAT NT OFFICE. I

JOHN ALFRED rnns'rwion, on LONDON, ENGLAND.

FILM-ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR KINEIOSCOPIC APPABATU S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 627,526, dated June 27, 1899.

I Application filed February 4, 1899. berial No. 704,496. (No model.)

To all whom it nta/j concern;

Be it known that 1, JOHN ALFRED PREST- WIOH, of 744 High road, Tottenham, London, county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Film- Actuatin g Mechanism for Kinetoscopic Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention has reference to film-actuating mechanism for use in apparatus for taking, printing, and projecting kinetoscopic pictures; and it has for its object to impart to the photographic film the necessary rapid intermittent movement by essentially simple and efficient means.

Incarrying out my invention I employ fiat springs carrying the film-operating pins and mechanical motions for operating said pins,

so that they yield on coming in contact with a plate or plates (suitably situated with reference to the film) during. the movement of the film, while the springs, and consequently the film-operating pins, are moved back away from the plate and the film by means of suitable rotary or reciprocating or alternate motion mechanism when the film is required to be stationary.

The invention may be carried out in several ways. 7

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a rear end elevation, of an arrangement which is suitable when the film is small and thus the traverse of the film for each successive picture is small.

In the drawings, a is a disk fixed on the end of a spindle b, which is caused to revolve continuously by any suitable means. On this disk at is mounted another spindle c, forming a kind of long crank-pin, which has its center a distance from the center of the disk at about equal to one-half the distance it is required to pull the film at each action. The throw of this spindle or crank-pin will therefore be equal to the pull of the film required. On this spindle c is mounted a light-frame d d, of suitable construction, the lower end of which is jointed to a link e. The other end of the link 6 is jointed to a pin f, fastened to the bed-plate g or other fixed part of the apparatus. To the sides of this end of the frame (1 (Z are also fastened two fiat springs h h,

which carry near their upper free ends pins '5, which engage in the holes in the edges of the film Z. These springs h 72, press on a plate m, which forms one side of the film-race, thepins 2' passing through slots n in'the plate m and engaging the holes in the film. Beyond the pins 2' the free ends of the fiat springs are bent back horizontally for a certain distance and then bent downward at p in such a manner that the said downwardly-bent ends 1) 1) will be struck by the upper ends q q of the frame parts 61 d in the upward movement of the frame. In their normal condition the .free ends of the springs stand away from the frame d d. The amount of play is checked byp and q. The engagement of the pins 71 with the filml may, however, according to my invention, be effected in any other convenient method.

The action is as follows: On the forward and downward stroke of the crank-pin c, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the springs h It come'in contact with the plate m above mentioned, the pins 1' engaging in the holes is of the film 1. On the further travel of the crank-pin c and frame (1 d the springs h h are sprung back till the crank 0 reaches the quarter-center or half of its down travel, when the springs h h begin to return to their normal position, and the downward movement of the frame 01 (l and film Z continues till the crank reaches its bottom position, when the upper ends q q of the frame d d strike against the ends 19 p of the springs and draw the free ends of the springs and the pins from the plate m. During the upward movement of the frame 61 d the film remains at rest until the crank-pin again reaches the top of its stroke.

It is obvious that instead of the continuous rotary crank mechanism herein described and the particularparts shown any suitable mechanism may be employed so long as the pin-carrying springs are allowed or caused to engage with the film for the purpose of moving it at one time and are moved out of engagement therewith during the period when the film is required to be stationary.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. In kinetoscopic filmactuating apparatus, the combination of bent flat springs carrying pins with means for alternately engaging said pins with and disengaging them from the film, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In kinetoscopic film-actuating apparatus, the combination with bent flat springs provided with pins, of mechanism for giving said springs and pins a rotative motion, and of straight guides against which the springs press whereby the travel of said pins while in engagement with the film is rectilinear.

In kinetoscopic film -actuating apparatus, the combination of bent fiat springs, filmengaging pins carried thereby, a frame carrying said springs, the bent end of each spring being free, a crank-disk, a crank-pin carried thereby, said frame being mounted on said crank-pin and following its path of rotation, and means controlling the movement of the end of said frame, whereby during a part of the revolution of said crank-pin the frame and springs approach the film and the pins engage the film and draw it to the required extent, while during further revolution of the crank-pin the frame engages the bent free ends of the springs and withdraws them, to-

gether with their pins, from the film, substantially as described.

4. In kinetoscopic film-actuating apparatus, the combination of bent springs, filmengaging pins carried thereby, a frame carrying said springs,the-bent end of each spring being free, a crank-disk, a crank-pin carried thereby, said frame being mounted on said JOHN ALFRED PRES'llVICll.

Witnesses:

THOMAS L. WHITEHEAD, ROBERT M. SPEARPOIN'I. 

